COLUMBIA, S.C. — The IRS says time is running out to claim 2020 tax refunds and stimulus checks. Here in South Carolina, thousands of residents are owed millions of dollars.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, more than 11,000 eligible South Carolina residents did not receive their stimulus or tax refund checks for the 2020 tax year, which amounts to over $12 million across the state.
“That’s a lot of money,” Jeannifer Branche said.
“I want that money. You gotta give me that money right now,” Chris Jenkins said.
The IRS said the checks can be hundreds of dollars.
“How do we receive the money? This is the questions we need to be asking,” Chris Jenkins asked.
The refunds are from the 2020 tax year. Due to the pandemic, the filing deadline was pushed back to May 17, 2021. If you filed and did not get your refund, there’s a check waiting for you with the IRS. If you qualified and didn’t get the 2020 stimulus check, that’s yours.
The best advice is to contact your tax preparer immediately.
“You want to get in here as soon as possible, and for the 2020 year, we have to mail -- we have to send it certified mail and postmarked by May 17," Kristen Javis with Javis Financial Services said. "That will ensure that you can still qualify and get those funds.”
By law, taxpayers have up to three years to claim tax refunds. If you don’t, the money becomes the property of the United States Treasury. Keep in mind the May 17 deadline is fast approaching.
For more information, visit the IRS website.